Mayo to host world’s first arts festival dedicated to the Irish Wake

The world’s first arts festival dedicated to the ancient arts and rites of the Irish Wake will take place in Mayo later this month.

The groundbreaking Keening Festival will be the world’s first arts festival dedicated to the ancient arts of the Irish Wake and will take place on Saturday, May 18 in Mulranny in the Old Convent.

The Keening Festival offers an extraordinary programme of free walks, keening workshops, talks about the origin of the wake and its rites and an evening concert with world acclaimed Sean Nós singer Caitriona Ní Cheannabháin, BAFTA winner and bardic poet Kevin Toolis and violinist Lisa Fuk’u’da.

The internationally famous composer Peter Reynolds has also written original songs for a unique outdoor musical performance programmed for 12 noon on May 18 at Mulranny Pier commemorating the Famine.

“The Wake remains a defining feature of Irish society, a unique powerful tool which eases the grief and sense of loss many feel with the death of their loved ones. It is only right that at last we recognise and celebrate these ancient rituals and rites in what is the world’s first wake festival,” says festival organiser Kevin Toolis, author of the seminal work on wakes, My Father’s Wake: How the Irish Teach Us to Live, Love and Die.

After the outdoor gathering at Mulranny Pier at noon, there will be keening workshops where participants can learn the ancient art of keening and Sean Nós singing. There is also a talk on the historic origins of the Irish wake by Kevin Toolis and an experience sharing gathering where participants can share their personal accounts of wakes, wake games and other now lost rituals of the Irish Wake.

The evening concert will feature the world premiere of specially composed works, Sean Nós laments, original bardic poetry and classic traditional tunes.

“Across the world people always say the Irish do death well and that is because of the wake. So it’s great to be working with Mulranny Arts and Home to Mayo to create the world’s first wake festival here at home in Mayo, where the wake is still going strong. We have had interest from all over Ireland and abroad in attending this unique festival celebrating the oldest rite of Irish culture,” explained Kevin.

A full programme of the day’s events and how to book is available at:

https://www.mulrannyarts.com/the-keening.